The present inventive concept relates to a connector, a light source module including the connector, and a light source module array including the light source module array.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductor light emitting devices capable of generating various colors of light through the recombination of electrons and holes at a junction between p-type and n-type semiconductor materials when a current is applied thereto. Compared to filament-based light emitting devices, such light emitting diodes have favorable characteristics such as a relatively extended lifespans, low power consumption, excellent initial operating characteristics, a high degree of vibration resistance, and the like. Hence, demand for light emitting diodes is continuously increasing. In particular, a group III nitride semiconductor capable of emitting light in a blue-based short wavelength region has come to prominence.
In the case of light emitting modules used in liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight units, cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) according to the related art have been used. However, since such CCFLs operate using a mercury gas, this may lead to environmental pollution. Furthermore, CCFLs operate with a low-speed response time, have low color reproducibility, and are not suitable for use with lightweight, slim and compact LCD panels. As compared to CCFLs according to the related art, LEDs are environmentally-friendly and able to operate with a high-speed response time on the level of several nanoseconds so as to be effective for video signal streams, and are also able to be impulse-driven. In addition, LEDs have 100% color reproducibility and are able to not only adjust a quantity of light emitted by red, green and blue LEDs to optionally change degrees of brightness, color temperatures, or the like, but may also be suitable for use with lightweight, slim and compact LCD panels. A current trend, therefore, is to actively employ LEDs in light emitting modules for backlight units.
In view of the above, the range in which light emitting diodes are employed as light emitting modules for backlight units is increasing, and research into reducing manufacturing costs and manufacturing times thereof has been continuously conducted. In particular, technology for reducing costs of manufacturing a light source module and a light source module array and the time taken in the coupling light source modules to each other has been proposed.